Shirui Kashong Peak
Shirui Kashong
The only place on earth where the Shirui lily grows
About this place
At 2,835 m, Shirui Kashong rises above Shirui village in Ukhrul and is the sole habitat of Lilium mackliniae, the Shirui lily, Manipur's state flower, a pale pink bell that blooms only on this ridge for a few weeks each year. The trek climbs through oak and rhododendron into open grassland, and on a clear day the summit looks across the Tangkhul hills toward Myanmar.
The history
The lily was described in 1948 by botanist Frank Kingdon-Ward, who named it for his wife Jean Macklin. The Shirui Lily Festival has been held in Ukhrul each May since 2017; the plant is classed as endangered and collection is prohibited.
How to reach
83 km from Imphal to Ukhrul town by NH-150/NH-202 (shared sumo ₹300–400, 3 hours), then 18 km by local taxi to Shirui village. The trailhead is at the village; the round trip on foot is 5–7 hours.
Local tips
- Do not pick or dig the lily: it is protected and the village enforces this.
- Carry two litres of water per person; there is no source above the village.
- Hire a Shirui village guide; the upper grassland has no marked path and fogs over fast.
Gallery
On the map
Shirui village, 18 km from Ukhrul town · 25.1167°N, 94.4333°E
Shirui Kashong Peak
Shirui village, 18 km from Ukhrul town
25.1167°N, 94.4333°E
Nearby places
Within an easy detour of Shirui Kashong Peak.
Photo: Kh Izaz / Google Maps
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